Voting has ended in the presidential election and the two referendums on reducing judicial pay and broadening the power of Oireachtas committees to hold inquiries.
Polling stations across the country opened at 7am this morning and remained open until 10pm tonight. Just over 3.1 million people were entitled to vote.
Seven candidates are contesting the presidential election, a record number.
Turnout was reported to be varied while officials reported some people had opted not to vote in the two referendums.
Dublin County Sheriff John Fitzpatrick said tonight voting was slow to begin with but had picked up after business hours.
He said turnout was at 40 per cent in Shankill at around 6.30pm, but remained as low as 10 per cent in Tallaght late into the evening.
The sense in Cork city was that voting stations were generally quiet for most of the day, but turnout had risen to 52 per cent in Beaumont by 8pm. The figure was 48 per cent in Kanturk, Co Cork, where Independent candidate Sean Gallagher's wife Trish is from.
Voters were also offered ballot papers relating to the referendums on reducing judicial pay and Oireachtas inquiries. Mr Fitzpatrick said: "Talking to presiding officers, quite a number of people didn't take them at all, saying they didn't know enough about it."
Mr Fitzpatrick also said he understood voting had been slow in Dublin West, where a byelection took place to replace the late former minister for finance Brian Lenihan of Fianna Fail. Voting began at 7am and the polls remained open for 15 hours.
Labour's Michael D Higgins cast his vote in Bushy Park National School, Galway this morning, while Gay Mitchell voted at Kildare Place Primary School, Upper Rathmines Road, Dublin.
Senator David Norris voted at Marlborough Street in Dublin, Mary Davis cast her ballot at Burrow School, Howth Road, Sutton and Seán Gallagher voted at Blackrock National School in Co Louth.
Dana Rosemary Scallon voted in Claregalway, while Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness, who has no vote in the Republic, accompanied his party colleague Donegal South West TD Pearse Doherty as he voted in Bunbeg, Co Donegal.
President Mary McAleese and her husband Senator Martin McAleese voted this morning at St Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park.
Today's polling has come at the end of what has been described as one of the most divisive and bitter campaigns in modern electoral history.
In the last week of the election, the front-runner Mr Gallagher became embroiled in controversy over his business dealings and activities for Fianna Fáil, following a dramatic confrontation with Mr McGuinness on RTÉ's Frontline on Monday night.
Yesterday, the businessman Hugh Morgan, who alleged Mr Gallagher personally collected a €5,000 cheque from him on behalf of Fianna Fáil, made available extracts from his diary to support his claim. Mr Gallagher again rejected Mr Morgan's allegations.
The first-count figures for the presidential election should be available tomorow evening with the result of the Dublin West by-election expected at around the same time. The final outcome could be known late tomorrow but is thought more likely to be announced at around lunchtime on Saturday.
The referendum results will not be announced until after the count for the presidency has been completed.
